|
Mahābhārata The History of the Great India
<< 95 The Power of Destiny >>
 |  | Karna said, "These two counselors have always worked for money and prestige in all their so-called duties. Why is it very amazing, then, that they cannot or will not give good advice? How can a man who claims to speak what is best for others convince honest people when he speaks with a dirty mind and hidden motives? This shows that when the things we value are threatened, our so-called friends can neither help nor harm us, for in both happiness or distress everything depends on destiny. Whether a man is wise or foolish, young or old, and whether he has friends to help him or not, wherever he goes he encounters all that is destined for him.
| | | "We have heard from authorities that long ago there was a king named Ambuvica in the royal palace of the Magadha monarchs. Deprived of all his senses, the king could only breathe, and he depended on his ministers to perform all the duties of state. His counselor named Mahakarni then became the real master of the country, and thinking he had now gained control of the military, Mahakarni began to despise the king. The foolish man seized all the privileges and properties of the king, including his women and jewels. But after he had gained what he coveted, his greed only increased. Having taken everything, he now desired to formally seize the kingdom. But although he tried, he was unable to steal the kingdom even of a monarch who was deprived of all his senses and could only breathe. This we have heard from authorities. What else could his kingship be, if not a position ordained by Providence?
| | | "If a kingdom is destined for you, then it shall be yours, O king. While the whole world watches, sovereignty will certainly stand with you. And if anything else is destined to be, even by endeavoring you shall not attain the kingdom. Thus, learned man, you must consider the honesty and dishonesty of those who advise you, and you must know whether a particular piece of advice is coming from the wicked or from those free of malice."
| | | Drona said: "We know for what purpose you with your flawed nature have spoken these words, for you are corrupted by envy of the Pandavas and now you would persuade us to adopt your wicked envy. I speak what is absolutely most beneficial for the prosperity and well-being of the Kuru dynasty. If you think that is wicked, Karna, then you tell us what is best. I speak what is most beneficial, and if anything besides this is done, then within a short time the ancient Kuru line will be destroyed. That is my conviction."
|
|
| |
|---|
English
Español
Pусский
Português